Tunnel boring machine 'Urja' makes first ring at Cantonment
BENGALURU: The first tunnel boring machine ‘Urja’, whose operation was launched by Chief Minister BS Yedyurappa a fortnight ago, created its first ring on an underground hard rock below the Cantonment area on Friday. This marks the first breakthrough in the tunneling of the underground corridor running to 13.9 km between Dairy Circle and Nagawara (Reach-6) stretch of Phase-II.
The machine has to drill 2.88 km between Cantonment and Shivaji Nagar Metro stations. It will operate in a circular fashion to bore through hard rocks and the soil by creating rings. BMRCL Managing Director Ajay Seth said, “The first ring was created by it on the eve of the 74th Independence Day. The underground section, when commissioned, will carry nearly 4 lakh commuters on a daily basis.” With TBM Vindhya set to be commissioned next.
The UG corridor from the South Ramp of Jayanagar Fire Station to North Ramp near Nagawara Underground Metro station will have 12 underground stations with the two tunnels running parallel to a length of 10.37 km. “We are aiming to inaugurate the first stretch of Phase-II, from Yelachenahalli to Anjanapura, on Karnataka Rajyotsava Day which falls on November 1,” Seth added.
However, officials had said it would take till end of November to commission the line due to ongoing delays in carrying out works due to the pandemic. Urja is one of four TBMs bought from China to create the underground corridor. Nine TBMs will be deployed in creating the two tunnels. The entire 72.1 km Phase-II will carry 14 lakh commuters daily when they will be commissioned in stages between November 2020 to June 2024, the MD added.